Chapter 7

Don had been awake for almost an hour. He was watching the sun come up over the water, and it was amazing. They would be at sea all day, today, on the way back to Long Beach. It was an incredible feeling, to see the blue of the sky meet the blue of the ocean on every horizon, know that he was in the middle of it…. He was surprised the lightening sky hadn't awakened Charlie, yet. Surprised, and relieved.

After Charlie had been sleeping about half an hour last night, Don had returned quietly to the cabin, just long enough to snatch the blankets off the bed closest to the balcony, and a pillow. He had covered Charlie with one of the blankets and settled in the other lounger himself. It was uncomfortable, after several hours, but he had promised. He had let himself drift — it was easier to feel the motion of the ship out here, and it rocked him to sleep. This close to Charlie, he was sure he would hear if there was another dream. He wasn't really sure what he'd do about it if there was, but he'd cross that bridge later.

When he first awoke, he went back into the cabin briefly, pulled some kinks out, used the bathroom. Now, he was just standing at the rail, feeling the peace of the sunrise.

He glanced at Charlie again. His brother hadn't moved since it had been light enough to see him, and that was almost as amazing as the sunrise. He had always been a frenetic sleeper. Don had worried a little last night that Charlie's normal restlessness would twist him off the lounge, but his brother was clearly exhausted. He saw now that there was rapid eye movement behind the closed lids. Charlie was dreaming. Don felt a stab of dread. He had said he would fight back the nightmare for Charlie, and he wanted to. He just didn't know how. Maybe wake him up real quick, before it really got going?

He opened his mouth to speak Charlie's name at the same time the brown eyes opened. Charlie focused on him, smiled lazily. "I was dreaming."

He had smiled, it couldn't be bad, could it? "What about?"

Charlie's leg was stiff and he started stretching in preparation for getting up. His smile broadened. "Amy."

Don smiled back. "Amy is the 'incredible woman', I take it."

Charlie threw the blanket off, pushed against the lounge. Don leaned over and grabbed his upper arm to help him up.

"Thanks. Yeah." Charlie limped the few steps to join Don at the rail, looked at the sky, still pink in some places. "That's pretty incredible, too."

"So you haven't told me about her."

Charlie's voice still had a just-awake dreamy quality. "Red hair. Green eyes — like Carolyn Trimble's — but different. They spark, like a fire cracker, and go dark when she's…when she's very sad, or very happy…Her eyes reflect what she sees in other people, I think." He looked at Don, smiled again. "And when she smiles…Don, when she smiles, which is a lot, everything in her face changes, everything participates." He made a turn to go back into the cabin, but kept talking. "She's funny, and smart. I can tell she reads a lot." He opened the door and headed for the bathroom. Don came in behind him, and heard him still talking. "Her mind is all over the place, we talked for almost three hours, and she described this hysterical little tattoo she wants to get, but she says she never will because, get this, she's afraid of needles, just like I am…" The bathroom door shut, and Charlie was still talking.

Don stood in the middle of the room.

Did his little brother just fall in love, in one day?

He plopped onto the end of the bed. Somehow, this woman had not only seen through all of Charlie's defenses, she had mirrored his own tortured soul back to him, and he was able to start fully comprehending his own horror. He had been able to describe it — in a weird, third-person kind of way, but still, he had owned it in a way he had so far been unable to achieve.

He had to meet this woman.

Don dressed for the day, and was ready and waiting when Charlie emerged from the bathroom, still shaking his wet hair like a dog. He was also still talking.

"…spa in L.A., and she likes my hair," he finished, grinning.

Don felt himself smiling, again. "You got her number, right? At least here on the ship? Do you think she'd join us for breakfast, or is it too early?"

The grin fell off Charlie's face, and Don wondered what he's said wrong this time.

Charlie opened the closet and began to dig around in his duffle. "I have her cabin number. I'm just not sure she'd want me to use it, now."

Don was confused. "Why? Did she ask you not to?"

Charlie stayed in the closet. "No," he mumbled. "I kind-of embarrassed myself."

Don hid a grin. "Charlie, they say that happens to every guy, now and then. Although speaking on a personal level, I've never…"

Charlie popped out of the closet, glared at him. "Not that! Geez, Don…if I had to deal with that on top of everything else, I just would have gone over the rail last night."

Don laughed. "Call her. Whatever happened, if she really doesn't want to hear from you, she won't answer the phone, right?"

Charlie looked at him uncertainly. "I guess. She's onboard with a girlfriend, she could have her answer…"

Don encouraged him. "Exactly. Go ahead. I'm starving."

Charlie tentatively approached the telephone, as if he expected it to hurt him, somehow.

"Do you want some privacy?"

Charlie looked up frantically. "Don't leave. Don't go. Something bad could happen."

Don didn't know whether to laugh, or cry, so he just sat back down on the end of the bed.

Charlie drew in a deep breath, picked up the receiver, pushed a few numbers — from memory, Don noted, but all numbers were floating around in Charlie's brain, just waiting to be called to action, so that wasn't really unusual.

"Hi…is this Amy?"

Don looked at Charlie's reflection in the mirror. He looked like he might throw up. Then, suddenly, a smile.

"Yes, it is. Listen, my brother and I were wondering if you would like some breakfast?"

He laughed. "Actual food." He lowered his voice. "We can deal with your other appetites later, maybe?" He saw Don watching him in the mirror and blushed, but Don knew the next thing he said was more for his benefit than Amy's. "I have another little red dot."

Don shook his head and smiled, and Charlie laughed again. "Good. Five minutes, then. We'll meet you by the main pool."

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Three-and-a-half minutes later, Charlie paced the deck around the pool so rapidly Don was afraid he'd lose his balance and fall in.

"Maybe she changed her mind." Charlie stopped walking and paled — actually paled — in front of Don.

"Charlie, calm down. We're early."

Don was jostled by someone apparently hungrier than he was, and he was momentarily distracted while he glared at his back. When he looked back at Charlie, his brother's face was completely different. He was smiling, relaxed, and yet animated. Don followed his gaze and saw a redhead coming their way, also smiling. Charlie was right — her entire face was participating. He looked back at Charlie's face.

Son of a bitch.

Charlie was in love.